Awning windows are a popular type of window commonly used on houses, porches, and many other structures requiring adjustable ventilation. Such windows employ a plurality of parallel horizontal window slats which may be angularly adjusted via a rotatable lever or knob. The slats may be adjusted from a fully open position to fully closed.
Existing awning type windows are highly susceptible to storm damage and forced entry due to their fragile elongate panes or slats. Conventional storm shutters offer one age-old solution. Storm shutters are typically nailed or otherwise affixed over the exterior of the closed window. Unfortunately, this is a laborious process and it renders the window temporarily inoperable.
There are more current forms of awning window protection, including demountable shields which are removably attached. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 3,571,975 issued to Misiaszek discloses an add-on window protector for louvered windows. This particular design incorporates a plurality of angled slats into a unitary open-box frame. The slats fit between the overlapping louvers of the window, and when sandwiched between the louvers, the slats support the protective box-frame over the outside of the window.
Similarly, Shaw '148 discloses a shield and safety screen 10 which may be placed in the opening of a sliding window.
Unfortunately, the above-described and other prior art protective window panels are fairly expensive to make, they are difficult to install, and they hamper the normal operation of the window. For example, the Misiaszek '975 device is an intricate single-piece mold which must be installed from outside the window.
It would be greatly advantageous to provide a plurality of protective interlocking window panels which could be installed from inside a dwelling through the open slats of an awning window, and which interlock upon closure of the window to provide secure storm and/or security protection.